(1) SALUTE TO SFF IN PASADENA MUSEUM OF HISTORY CENTENNIAL. The Pasadena Museum of History is hosting a series of events and exhibits to mark its hundredth year in existence. Several are about the film industry, and two are about sff in particular.

“Watch the Skies!” History of Science Fiction Movies. Thursday, July 25 | 7:00 pm Tickets at the link.

Early glimpses of science fiction films began with movies like A Trip to the Moon (1902)where director George Méliѐs pokes fun at French novelist and poet Jules Verne or in Frankenstein (1931) and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) that featured the “mad scientist” character – each of the films never truly showing much science, nor the genre of what people think of as science fiction. Join Nick Smith, co-curator of PMH’s 2018 exhibition Dreaming the Universe: The Intersection of Science, Fiction & Southern California, for this illustrated presentation as he explores the history of science fiction movies. Learn how original science fiction stories came on to the big screen and changed over the years.

Presentation will begin at 7:00 pm; PMH Galleries will be open for viewing at 6:00 pm.

The First Horror Movies. Thursday, October 24 | 7:00 pm. Tickets at the link.

Horror movies go back to the birth of the movie industry with some of the very first films in the genre dating back to 1896. These films also featured the first special effects, which became standard in many horror films for the next 50 years. Join film historian and musicologist Galen Wilkes to meet some of the classic horror characters – Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, and Dorian Gray – as they were first depicted on screen. You’ll also see some of the genre’s very first special effects and learn how they were created.

Presentation will begin at 7:00 pm; PMH Galleries will be open for viewing at 6:00 pm.

(2) PANTHEOLOGY PROVIDES THE THEME. Virtual International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts conference coordinator Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki has announced that “VICFA 3: Pantheology in World-Building and Magic Systems” will run from Wednesday, October 9, through Saturday, October 12, 2024. Guests of Honor are P. Djeli Clark and R.R. Virdi and Guest Scholars Grace Dillon and Rabbi A.D. Lobel. 

The Call for Papers has myriad suggestions. See the timeline and instructions for submission at the link.

We invite analysis of real-world pantheologies rebirthed in literature as well as in some of the most influential games and films of the technical era, including not only the interminable trials of Loki and the recognizable Greek Pantheon fighting Kratos in God of War and each other in Son of Zeus, but what of Zagreus, prince of the Underworld, fighting his way out of his own kingdom in Hades, and cultists striving to birth an Anti-Christ not only in “The Call of Cthulhu” but also in Castlevania, Good Omens, Omen, and Rosemary’s Baby? You are invited to build your presentation on studies from existing scholarship from leaders in the field including Mary-Jane Rubenstein, Grace Dillon, Elaine Pagels, Carol B. Duncan, Helen De Cruz, Joseph Campbell, and Rabbi A.D. Lobel, to name only a few.  Ben Okri’s The Famished Road and Amos Tutuola’s The Palmwine Drinkard show how inextricable these pantheologies are from what we perceive as the physical world, as in popular media such as Marvel’s interpretations and the mythological worldbuilding of Rick Riordan and Neil Gaiman.  Multiple levels of being and reality intertwine in tales such as P. Djeli Clark’s Dead Djinn Universe, R.R. Virdi’s The Tales of Tremaine, Aparna Verma’s The Ravence Trilogy, and Sheree Renee Thomas’s Dark Matter: Reading the Bones.  There are cosmologies to explore in the works of Kwame Mbalia, Claire Coleman, Lee Maracle, Eden Robinson, and Alexis Wright.  You are invited to submit perspectives on the unexpected rivalry between ancient and modern deities in American Gods, analysis of the role of Gwyn, Lord of Sunlight, and the Gods of Anor Londo in Dark Souls, the three goddesses and the Triforce virtues of Power, Courage and Wisdom leagued against the demon king Ganon in The Legend of Zelda, relations between the Old One, the Slayer of Demons, and the Maiden in Black in Demon’s Souls, the Camerata of Transistor, or not only the Ancient Ones, Sephiroth, or Kefka but any of the teeming demi-gods waking from dreams or striving for supremacy in the realms of Lovecraft or Final Fantasy.  This is just a sampling of the vast worlds of topics you may choose to explore as a presenter or attendee at VICFA 3.  As always, participants are encouraged to submit proposals on any topic of interest and specialization whether part of the conference theme or independent of it.

(3) MISSION ACCOMPLISHED? “’Everything ends someday’ — Star Trek: Discovery Fifth Season Overview” by Keith R.A. DeCandido at Reactor.

Some of the most iconic words in science fiction television are those uttered by William Shatner at the top of every episode of the original Star Trek: “These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise—its five-year mission…” The intention was that Kirk’s ship would be out in space for five years exploring the unknown. Alas, the show was cancelled after three years.

In fact, none of the shows that spun off of Trek hit the five-year mark exactly—until now. The animated series was only two seasons, TNG, DS9, and Voyager all lasted seven years, while Enterprise and Picard fell short at four and three, respectively, the latter by design, the former not so much.

However, thanks to the surprising decision by CBS/Paramount to cancel Discovery after five seasons, we finally have a show that lives up to that nearly-six-decades-old voiceover.

And what a long strange trip it’s been.

It’s not entirely clear why the show was cancelled. By all accounts, Discovery was doing fine by streaming standards. Of course, it’s also possible that’s why it was cancelled. The resolution to the actors and writers going on strike last year included the studios being more forthcoming with two things regarding the success of streaming shows: data and money. This is also why Prodigy is no longer on Paramount+, because the corporation getting a tax break was considered more important than the branding of Paramount+ as the exclusive home of Star Trek—which is supposed to be a major reason for shelling out for the service in the first place….

(4) SCENES FOR TEENS. [Item by Steven French.] “Children’s and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels”; the Guardian’s best new books for kids and teens includes a number of genre related offerings, including:

Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial by Kieran Larwood and Joe Todd-Stanton, Nosy Crow, £7.99
Part gnome, part dwarf, young gnorf Kit has always dreamed of being a Dungeon Runner – even though he’s so small. When an unexpected space in the League opens up, can Kit’s misfit team make it through the dungeon’s mazes, puzzles and terrifying monsters to kickstart their Dungeon Runner journey? Highly illustrated, humorous and immediately enthralling, this first volume in a new series will appeal to 7+ D&D fans in particular.

(5) TRUE GRITS. Matt Mitchell imagines “If Inside Out Was Southern”.

Riley Beth moved to Montgomery and is taking her first trip to Waffle House with her brand new Southern emotions, Sass, Hospitality, Comfort, and more.

(6) LET’S CELEBRATE ONE MORE BIRTHDAY FROM YESTERDAY.

[Written by Cat Eldridge.]

June 28, 1974 — Deborah Grabien, 70. Deborah Grabien who turned seventy yesterday is awesome. So how do I know that? It’s because she sends me the most kick ass chocolate fudge. She really does. 

Well and for a variety of other reasons that I’ll detail here as well. Let’s start with her with her extraordinary ability at writing music reviews. 

She’s deeply, madly in love with Sixties folk music which is why she written them quite a number a number of them for Green Man including her “’Trad Boys, Trad Boys, Whatcha Gonna Do….?’ Liege & Lief remembered” essay in which she said “So when he handed me this interesting-looking album and I turned the cover over and saw ‘Matty Groves’ listed, I took my copy of Magical Mystery Tour off the turntable and put the new one on. I dropped the needle, heard the first notes of ‘Come All Ye,’ and then Sandy’s voice. It was right about then that my head exploded: Omigawd, who are these people, this is perfection!”

And then there’s her take on Steeleye Span’s Dodgy Bastards album nearly a half century after the band was formed in 1969: “The band is as tight as it ever was, but I would have been surprised had they not been, with the remaining core of Liam Genocky, Rick Kemp and the incomparable Maddy Prior in place. The rhythm section is brilliant. Genocky has lost nothing to the years; he’s as solid as a rock holding down the band’s intricate rhythms, and Rick Kemp manages to produce both thunder and groove on the bass. Jessie May Smart has a light, gorgeous touch on the fiddle, and the guitars and mandolin are seamlessly integrated.”

Now let’s turn to her exemplary mystery series, the first being the Haunted Ballads series which is decidedly genre as each novel shares the title with a well-known standard of traditional British folk music, and each interweaves the plot of the song with the plot of the ghost story. 

The first, The Weaver and The Factor Maid which I reviewed in my look at the series, where  Ringan Laine, architectural expert, folklorist and leading light of the English folk music scene, is stiffed for a home restoration fee, he’s offered a home to placate him. Ringan accepts, thus becoming the owner of Lumbe’s, an 18th century cottage on the Somerset estate of Albert Wychsale, baron and owner of Wychsale House, just outside the ancient town of Glastonbury. What neither Ringan nor his ladyfriend, theatrical director Penelope Wintercraft-Hawkes, realizes at first is that they’re not the only tenants of Lumbe’s. There’s an uninvited resident, a beautiful young woman with a tendency to appear and disappear at odd, inconvenient times.

And Deborah gives us her favorite excerpt from that novel

Beside the kitchen wall was a flight of stairs.  Ringan, instinctively and unnecessarily ducking his head, made his way up toward the first floor, where bedrooms and a bath had been added.   Sunlight splashed across the wooden risers, dappling Ringan’s jeans and trainers with colour.

The stairs bent halfway up, forming a small landing, where someone had added a lovely round window.  Ringan looked around for a lightswitch, and found none; since the window seemed to be the stairwell’s only source of light, getting around at night might prove bothersome.  He thought about bumped heads and twisted ankles, made a mental note to ask his landlord about wiring, and remembered that the landlord in question was himself. He grinned ruefully.  This “it’s your problem, mate, you’d best fix it” business would take some getting used to…

He turned the bend in the stairs, headed for the first floor, and stopped as if he’d been hit with a bullet.

The shaft of cold, as icy as it was unexpected, stabbed him between the shoulder-blades. He was standing in a pool of sunlight, the temperature was over seventy, and he’d just been thinking about opening some windows to cool the place off. Yet, for one incredulous moment, he’d felt as if he’d walked into a  meat locker. Every hair on his body bristled, and his knees went rubbery. And he suddenly wanted to burst into tears.  The shock was enormous.  What in hell…?

The cold faded as quickly as it had come, easing in the blink of an eye to a soft rush of cool air before dying away. There was, there seemed to be, a soft touch against him, the brush of something: breath, fabric, fingertips? He didn’t know; it was too indistinct for identification, and gone too soon.  For a moment, Ringan thought he’d heard a sigh behind him.

Her second series, the JP Kincaid Chronicles, is not genre but it’s also music in nature. Take one middle-aged rock and roll guitarist, two women. Welcome to the life of John “JP” Kinkaid, guitarist for Hall of Fame rock band Blacklight, has a few issues. There are as I said two women in his life: Bree, his fiercely private partner of twenty-five years, who he fell in love with while she was still a teenager, and Cilla, his long-estranged but still legal wife, whom he’s never been able to completely let go of. Then there’s his multiple sclerosis, a disease whose unpredictable nature complicates both his everyday life and his career. That’s your premise for series. 

The first five of this series are reviewed by a friend of hers, Sunny Solomon, of Bookin’ With Sunny: “Deborah Grabien’s JP Kinkaid Chronicles”.

Now here’s the excellent passage she selected from Rock & Roll Never Forgets for you to read… 

The first thing I saw when I walked into a cheerful little front room with pitched ceilings and framed pictures of people I’ve admired my whole life all over the walls wasn’t Bulldog Moody, it was his guitar.

I walked in through the front door. Like I said, I was sweating and nervous, because meeting someone you’ve idolised can really break your heart. But I stopped halfway in, because there it was, sitting there on a handmade stand that looked to be as old as the guitar itself.

  “Gordon Bennett!“

 I stopped so suddenly, Bree ran straight into me, and nearly knocked me down. I didn’t even notice. All the attention I had to spare was aimed straight at that guitar.

 I’m a Gibson guitar fan. For a long time, it took a lot to get me to bother with any electric guitar that wasn’t a Gibson – acoustics are a different thing, but with electrics, it’s been Gibson, straight down the line. I’ve actually been a spokesman for the Les Paul line. One of the things on my dance card over the next month or so was a visit to Nashville; we were having discussions, not only about finally making me chambered touring copies of my two favourite Pauls, but about launching a signature JP Kinkaid model. Until Bree had paid a local Bay Area luthier a lot of money to build me a gorgeous lightweight electric guitar called Little Queenie as a wedding present, the nearest I’d come to anything that wasn’t made by Gibson was a Zemaitis custom.

So, yeah, I’m susceptible to Gibsons. But there are guitars, and then there was this, because unless I was completely mistaken, this was the only one of its kind.

“Hey.” The voice jerked me out of what was threatening to become a complete trance. I’d been right – same bell as Sallie’s, but this one was old, cracked round the edges, and very friendly. It was also really amused, and that’s what froze me. “You like that axe, son? Because you lookin’ at her like you were wanting to buy her a drink.”

(7) COMICS SECTION.

• Bizarro – was this not a Twilight Zone and Star Trek episode?
• Loose Parts shows a monstrous case of miscommunication.
• Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal has a theory about what soldiers rebelling against AI will wear.

(8) THE LEARNING CURVE SUFFERS A FLAT. PRINT Magazine’s Steve Heller mourns “When Competency Is Going, Going, Gone”.

…If only my procedural memory was effective enough to work with digital design tools that I had once learned and subsequently forgot. No such luck, I suffer from techno amnesia….

…Fifteen years ago I retired from my art director job at The New York Times that required basic computer skills. When I left, I left behind my private office, comfy chair, trusty desktop computer … and with in a few weeks almost all of my computer design reflexes that had accumulated over the years of practice. While art director of the Book Review for almost three decades, I learned dozens of methods and technologies—from how to prepare images for the engraver when we printed on letterpress; to how to use an non-design-friendly Harris terminal to set type when the newspaper switched over to photo type; to preparing page comps on the early Apple Classic and Macs mastering Quark, before switching over to InDesign (and its assorted upgrades) that enabled me to build press-ready pages populated with text, Photoshop and Illustrator files. I learned rote basics—enough to get me through the workflow on any given day—but never mastered advanced upgrades (like linking text to image, style sheets and other now-routine stuff). Still, I was functionally competent.

However, when I returned my ID card to HR, my procedural memory was wiped clean. It was like the episode of “Black Mirror” where a man is blocked from contact with people and only sees their static shapes moving about. The erasure was so sudden that the late-great neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks could have used me as a case study….

(9) INCOMING! Another worry for future Mars colonists! “New class of Mars quakes reveals daily meteorite strikes” at Phys.org.

…An international team of researchers, co-led by ETH Zurich and Imperial College London, has derived the first estimate of global meteorite impacts on Mars using seismic data. Their findings indicate that between 280 to 360 meteorites strike the planet each year, forming impact craters greater than 8 meters (about 26 feet) across…

(10) WINTER IS COMING. Gizmodo dares fans to “Gaze Into the Immaculate Snow Buttcheeks of Red One’s Horrifying First Trailer”.

…Starting off with a swole Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons) lifting weights (to keep those cookie calories down, presumably) with the help of the commander of the ELF Task Force—played by Johnson as “The Rock if he were Santa’s bodyguard”—isn’t much of a stretch for an action movie, sure. It’s more the incomprehensible series of plot slop that follows, which leaves us wondering what this is movie trying to be, outside of a Christmas version of Taken? The buff-butt snowmen fight scene on the beach is only the tip of the head-scratching choices here. Take a look for yourself in the trailer below…

(11) VIDEO OF THE DAY. Deadline encourages us to “Watch First Trailer For Indian Sci-Fi Epic ‘Kalki 2898 AD’”.

The first trailer has just dropped for Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD, the anticipated Indian sci-fi epic starring Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Hassan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone and Disha Patani in key roles. Described as a “true pan-Indian film”, the film follows a modern-day avatar of Hindu god Vishnu, who is believed to have descended to Earth to protect the world from evil forces. 

The VFX-heavy project, which is produced by Vyjayanthi Movies, is a multilingual mythology-inspired sci-fi set in the future and is set to be released in cinemas worldwide on June 27. It’s been touted as one of the most expensive Indian films made to date, with a budget sitting in the $72M region…. 

[Thanks to Mike Kennedy, Andrew Porter, John King Tarpinian, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, Chris Barkley, Cat Eldridge, SF Concatenation’s Jonathan Cowie, Steven French, Teddy Harvia, and Kathy Sullivan for some of these stories. Title credit belongs to File 770 contributing editor of the day Cliff.]